Bernard Labadie has established himself worldwide as one of the preeminent conductors of the Baroque and Classical repertoire, a reputation closely tied to his work with Les Violons du Roy (for which he served as Music Director from its inception until 2014) and La Chapelle de Québec. With these two ensembles he has regularly toured Canada, the US and Europe, in major venues and festivals such as Carnegie Hall, Avery Fisher Hall, Walt Disney Concert Hall, Kennedy Center, The Barbican, The Concertgebouw, and the Salzburg Festival, among others. He begins a four-year term as Principal Conductor of the Orchestra of St. Luke’s in the 2018-19 season.

To showcase [Bernard's] expertise, the ensemble announced on Thursday that it would present an ambitious three-week Bach festival in June, including concerts and the six dances that Paul Taylor, the modern dance pioneer who died last month at 88, choreographed to Bach’s music.

Marc-Andre Hamelin has proven himself - in three highly lauded volumes of Haydn's piano sonatas - to be a formidable Haydn pianist, combining style, exuberance and dazzling technique with a palpable sense of joy in the music. This release is the fruit of a partnership with the award-winning Canadian chamber orchestra Les Violons du Roy and their director Bernard Labadie, whose previous recordings for Virgin Classics and other labels have received the highest critical acclaim. With his scintillating performances of Haydn's three most popular Piano Concertos, Hamelin further demonstrates his special affinity for this repertoire.

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Posted: Apr-9-2013

Latest Acclaim

"Almost percussive in precision, with accentuated articulation between notes, the orchestra exercised a lean muscularity, mesmerizing to behold. More than merely illuminate a familiar masterpiece, the musicians’ x-ray vision revealed the structural rigor underlying all those catchy tunes"